A Lexicon of Terror

A Lexicon of Terror examines Argentina's "Dirty War" of 1976-1983 through the lens of language and how words were manipulated by the military dictatorship. Feitlowitz documents how everyday phrases and expressions took on sinister new meanings during this period of state terrorism. Through interviews with survivors, military personnel, and civilians, Feitlowitz reconstructs how language became a tool of power and control. The book catalogs the regime's specialized vocabulary - from innocuous-sounding euphemisms for torture to the calculated distortion of common words. The research draws on official documents, transcripts, and firsthand accounts from detention centers, providing context for how this systematic manipulation of language operated. This investigation spans multiple cities and social classes across Argentina. The book demonstrates how the corruption of language can enable and normalize political violence. It stands as an examination of how words shape reality and how authoritarian control extends beyond physical force into the realm of communication itself.

Readers value this book as a detailed examination of how language was manipulated during Argentina's Dirty War, with many highlighting Feitlowitz's interviews with survivors and analysis of military terminology. Multiple reviews note the book's contribution to understanding how words were weaponized by the junta. Readers appreciated: - Extensive primary source research and interviews - Clear explanations of complex political events - Documentation of specific words and phrases used to mask violence Common criticisms: - Dense academic writing style - Jumps between time periods, causing confusion - Some repetition of concepts Ratings: Goodreads: 4.16/5 (157 ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (21 ratings) One reader noted: "The author shows how everyday words like 'transfer' and 'treatment' took on sinister meanings." Another wrote: "The interviews with survivors are powerful but the academic sections slow the pace."

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📚 The term "disappeared" (desaparecidos) entered international human rights language because of Argentina's military dictatorship (1976-1983), which is the focus of this book. 🎓 Author Marguerite Feitlowitz spent nearly a decade conducting interviews with survivors, torturers, and families of the disappeared while researching this groundbreaking work. 🗣️ The military junta created a new vocabulary during their reign, using mundane words like "transfer" (which meant execution) and "special treatment" (torture), which Feitlowitz meticulously documents. 🏥 The notorious ESMA (Navy Mechanics School) in Buenos Aires, where thousands were tortured and killed, operated as both a detention center and a maternity ward where pregnant prisoners gave birth before being murdered, their babies given to military families. 📖 The book's title refers to how the military regime weaponized language itself, creating what Feitlowitz calls a "lexicon of terror" that pervaded Argentine society and continues to influence the nation's culture decades later.